US Social Security

[Presnock]

1 hour ago, jas007 said:

I'm pretty sure Medicaid can't be collected overseas by anyone.  Vets in need of care while overseas can apply for benefits administered by the VA. I forget what it's called, but they are covered if they qualify.  If they're in the states, then they can always collect Medicaid if they qualify.  Some states supplement the federal benefit amount. 

Tricare is the medical care for all retired military and after 65 they can also be eligible for medicade and the tricare is two parts A and  b  bu believe the vet has to pay the part B - tricare is available no matter the residence of the vet.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, jas007 said:

And he sees no reason why another million young men need to be fed into the meat grinder. Ukraine has been all but ruined by the proxy war. Trump wants the killing to stop.

Trump wants a bounty. He really doesn't care about the killing.

[jas007]

6 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Trump wants a bounty. He really doesn't care about the killing.

He says he does care about the killing.  He probably also wants to recoup some of the wasted money.  Why can't it be both?  

[Yellowtail]

3 hours ago, JAG said:

What is the essential difference between VAT which is levied on many (but not all) purchases throughout Europe including imported goods, and Sales Tax which is levied on purchases in the US, including imported goods?

Generally, VAT is collected on a product at each stage value is added to that product. You pay VAT to buy irone ore to make steel. You pay VAT to buy steel to make screws. You pay VAT to buy screws to make furniture. You pay VAT when you buy furniture. 

 

Generally, sales tax is only collected on the finished product and or at the retail level, and manufacturers would typically be exempt from paying sales tax on materials they use in production. 

 

Also, when you import something into the US for resale, you do not pay a sales tax. The sales tax is collected when it is sold retail. When you import something into a country like Thailand, you pay the VAT on the import, and the end user pays it again to the retailer. 

 

Also, in the US, sales taxes are state and local, not federal. Some states have sales taxes, some don't.  Some counties or cities have sales taxes in addition to state sales taxes. 

 

 

 

[ujayujay]

On 3/23/2025 at 6:01 AM, Dan747 said:

Here is Musk’s direct quote: “The waste and fraud in entitlement spending — which is most of the federal spending is entitlements — so, that’s, like, the big one to eliminate. That’s the, sort of half-trillion, maybe $6-700 billion a year.”

And he’s exactly right.

• FACT: The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates taxpayers lose as much as $521 billion annually to fraud — and most of that is within entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid.
• FACT: Over the past two decades, the federal government has made an estimated $2.7 trillion in “improper payments” — the majority of which come in the form of “payments to deceased individuals or those who no longer [are] eligible for government programs.”
• FACT: The Social Security Administration made an estimated $72 billion in improper payments between 2015 and 2022.
• FACT: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services estimated it made $140+ billion in improper payments in 2024 alone.

What kind of a person doesn’t support eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending that ultimately costs taxpayers more?

Neither Musk nor Trump: Never trust a liar

[Hawaiian]

15 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Generally, VAT is collected on a product at each stage value is added to that product. You pay VAT to buy irone ore to make steel. You pay VAT to buy steel to make screws. You pay VAT to buy screws to make furniture. You pay VAT when you buy furniture. 

 

Generally, sales tax is only collected on the finished product and or at the retail level, and manufacturers would typically be exempt from paying sales tax on materials they use in production. 

 

Also, when you import something into the US for resale, you do not pay a sales tax. The sales tax is collected when it is sold retail. When you import something into a country like Thailand, you pay the VAT on the import, and the end user pays it again to the retailer. 

 

Also, in the US, sales taxes are state and local, not federal. Some states have sales taxes, some don't.  Some counties or cities have sales taxes in addition to state sales taxes. 

 

 

 

Like you say, sales taxes vary from state to state.  In Hawaii, 1/2% is levied at each stage of production and 4% on the finished product.  There is also a 1/2% wholesale sales tax.  Effective rate is around 8%.

[John Drake]

2 hours ago, Wydahoan said:

Giving Social Security to expats is like foreign aid. Google says 700,000 expats on Social Security. 

 

Fine. Then stop military pensions and Tricare from going to overseas destinations as well.

[Felton Jarvis]

On 3/22/2025 at 8:30 AM, fredwiggy said:

Lot being said about SS and some sounds like it can be stopped, but although I dislike trump, some of what he's trying to do is actually preventing the loss of benefits. Time will tell. No one in their right minds would try and take survival money away from over 70 million Americans because it would be about the last thing they would do.

I worry about it every day. Trump and Musk cannot be trusted. They are billionaires who are completely removed from the reality of the average American. Trump has antagonized all of our allies and insulted every ethnicity he can think of. I can't imagine any black or Jewish person supporting him, but many do.

[Presnock]

3 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I do not believe that. 

I am one retiree here started 20+ years ago and still could afford to live in the US but then I couldn't have the weather we have  here.  jus abou everywhere in the US has some horrible weather which is not only horrible but very dangerous.  The cost of housing if I had stayed there wouid have been negligible as I owned my house, only yearly property taxes but then again besides the fed tax that I still have to pay, I would have had to pay again to the State. Food based on what I eat because fruits of all kinds are available  in both countries but more expernsive in the US.  I am not a drinker of alcohol so that is of no consequence as is smoking legal or illegal. TRansportation would be cheaper in the US depending on what kind of vehicle I had.  basically, the weather which I am familiar with in Thailand was more to my liking and the main reason but then I married a Thai and we have a beautiful and intelligent young lady.

[ignore it]

Democratic misinformation campaign alert.

 

[mogandave]

Virtually every one attacking Trump in this thread is either a liar, stupid, or a stupid liar. 

 

Trump is not cutting Social Security benefits. 

 

Trump never said soldiers were suckers and losers. 

 

Vets, do not get their income from medicaid, unless the work for medicaid. 

[Mike_Hunt]

11 hours ago, Tug said:

Lmao just because trump articulated sounds out of his mouth is meaningless it was a ploy or (lie) to garner more votes no more no less.heck trump is trying to kill social security so I guess if he manages to steal peoples pensions they can’t be taxed ehh?

Why lie? 

[JulesMad]

On 3/22/2025 at 8:54 AM, jas007 said:

Trump has said repeatedly

When has he NOT lied... He lies about everything, so rest assured, he will f*** you over. Sooner or later! Or more accurately, sooner AND later!

[FritsSikkink]

On 3/23/2025 at 6:01 AM, Dan747 said:

Here is Musk’s direct quote: “The waste and fraud in entitlement spending — which is most of the federal spending is entitlements — so, that’s, like, the big one to eliminate. That’s the, sort of half-trillion, maybe $6-700 billion a year.”

And he’s exactly right.

• FACT: The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates taxpayers lose as much as $521 billion annually to fraud — and most of that is within entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid.
• FACT: Over the past two decades, the federal government has made an estimated $2.7 trillion in “improper payments” — the majority of which come in the form of “payments to deceased individuals or those who no longer [are] eligible for government programs.”
• FACT: The Social Security Administration made an estimated $72 billion in improper payments between 2015 and 2022.
• FACT: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services estimated it made $140+ billion in improper payments in 2024 alone.

What kind of a person doesn’t support eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending that ultimately costs taxpayers more?

Do you have credible links to these "facts"?

[WDSmart]

Yes, I am worried Trump will do something that will reduce or stop my Social Security payments. An example would be stopping paying people who now live outside the USA. 

[SLOWHAND225]

6 hours ago, Wydahoan said:

Giving Social Security to expats is like foreign aid. Google says 700,000 expats on Social Security. 

How so ?

I've paid in more than I will ever collect. With the additions of SSDI and congress using it to fund projects that never get repaid I'll never get it all back. 
Foreign aid is just that, Aid. They've never paid a dime

[Felton Jarvis]

Elon is a criminal. He must go to prison with Trump. Preferably next week.

[KhunLA]

8 hours ago, Wydahoan said:

Giving Social Security to expats is like foreign aid. Google says 700,000 expats on Social Security. 

 

Foreign aid is a gift to people that didn't 'pay' for it.   Myself and my employers paid into SS.  Not our fault the govt mismanaged the funds.   Actually it probably is, me not voting, and people voting for the same idiots that depleted the funds.

 

1 hour ago, SLOWHAND225 said:

I've paid in more than I will ever collect. With the additions of SSDI and congress using it to fund projects that never get repaid I'll never get it all back. 
Foreign aid is just that, Aid. They've never paid a dime

 

I think I got back or will get back, before I crap out, every tax $$$ I ever paid.   Been on full SS bennies for 25 years ... 

 

... I'm a blight on society   

[thesetat]

On 3/22/2025 at 8:30 AM, fredwiggy said:

Lot being said about SS and some sounds like it can be stopped, but although I dislike trump, some of what he's trying to do is actually preventing the loss of benefits. Time will tell. No one in their right minds would try and take survival money away from over 70 million Americans because it would be about the last thing they would do.

I do not think he is trying to stop SSI. I think he is trying to stop the fake payments of people who died already as well as any other mistakes made when approving people to receive it. 

[AgMech Cowboy]

On 3/22/2025 at 8:21 AM, pchansmorn said:

Are any American Expats worried Trump will stop there retirement income?  

No, I'm not worried.  You are obviously listen to the negative rhetoric being espoused by the lefties in the Democratic party.

[Luuk Chaai]

On 3/22/2025 at 8:21 AM, pchansmorn said:

Are any American Expats worried Trump will stop there retirement income?  He’s headed for that next step.  He will destroy the SS system and Americans won’t have money to live on anymore.  We have our savings but it won’t last forever.  A reverse mortgage may be in our future.

 

wow !    so far from the truth 

[Presnock]

11 hours ago, mogandave said:

Virtually every one attacking Trump in this thread is either a liar, stupid, or a stupid liar. 

 

Trump is not cutting Social Security benefits. 

 

Trump never said soldiers were suckers and losers. 

 

Vets, do not get their income from medicaid, unless the work for medicaid. 

I personally know a vet, 78 years old that does get his disability pay from medicaid - total disability AO affected. google medicade and vets - they indicate that vets can get the higher of medicade or VA benefits.

[Jim Blue]

On 3/23/2025 at 9:04 AM, jas007 said:

 

 

Will some people lose out in the process? Sure. The fraudsters and the people who have been scamming the system for years. The people collecting checks who don't even show up.

Can you give us just one or two actual  examples of how this gigantic fraud is able to work? Talk is cheap .?

[TheAppletons]

"The Social Security Administration is rushing cuts to phone services at the White House's request, the agency's acting commissioner told Social Security advocates in a meeting on Monday, two sources who attended tell Axios.

 

Why it matters: These changes will strain the already struggling Social Security system and deprive some people of benefits entirely, according to current and former employees and advocates for retirees."

 

and

 

"These new developments leave us deeply concerned that DOGE and the Trump Administration are setting up the SSA for failure—a failure that could cut off Social Security benefits for millions of Americans—and that will then be used to justify a 'private sector fix,'" Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who both serve on the committee, said in a letter to Bisignano on Monday."

 

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/24/social-security-cuts-doge

[Jingthing]

14 minutes ago, TheAppletons said:

"The Social Security Administration is rushing cuts to phone services at the White House's request, the agency's acting commissioner told Social Security advocates in a meeting on Monday, two sources who attended tell Axios.

 

Why it matters: These changes will strain the already struggling Social Security system and deprive some people of benefits entirely, according to current and former employees and advocates for retirees."

 

and

 

"These new developments leave us deeply concerned that DOGE and the Trump Administration are setting up the SSA for failure—a failure that could cut off Social Security benefits for millions of Americans—and that will then be used to justify a 'private sector fix,'" Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who both serve on the committee, said in a letter to Bisignano on Monday."

 

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/24/social-security-cuts-doge

Don't doubt they are trying to do that.

Who's gonna stop them?

The fascist Trump regime is now ignoring court orders.

[bunnydrops]

11 hours ago, thesetat said:

I do not think he is trying to stop SSI. I think he is trying to stop the fake payments of people who died already as well as any other mistakes made when approving people to receive it. 

Not that many

 

https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-provides-update-about-its-death-record/

[thesetat]

52 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

Not that many

 

https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-provides-update-about-its-death-record/

Did you even bother to read that? They have not checked since 2008. About time they do it again/ don't you think? 

[jerrymahoney]

July 24, 2024

From: Michelle L. Anderson
Assistant Inspector General for Audit
as Acting Inspector General

Subject: Preventing, Detecting, and Recovering Improper Payments

Deceased Beneficiaries in Suspended Payment Status

https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/072401.pdf

[riclag]

20 hours ago, Felton Jarvis said:

I worry about it every day. Trump and Musk cannot be trusted. They are billionaires who are completely removed from the reality of the average American. Trump has antagonized all of our allies and insulted every ethnicity he can think of. I can't imagine any black or Jewish person supporting him, but many do.

Where was your concern before?Did you have your information exposed like millions have, I spent all my like being cautious of my personal information being secure only to find the Government let glitches & nefarious actors ( hackers) tamper with data , I ‘m a victim of this! I wonder how many here have been exposed as a result of the breach below but are to embarrassed to admit it.
The Government accountability office  found  possible fraud  annually , see below . Forget about trying to investigate  years 2023 &  2024 , Biden was to busy trying to figure , how he could jury rig ,teleprompters.

 

GOOGLE Ai:

“The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates that the federal government could lose between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud, based on data from fiscal years 2018 through 2022”.

 No district or federal judges slapped injunctions on the GAO which begs the question why!

I ‘ll tell you why , they knew the bureaucrats running the system wouldn’t be straight forward with the systems in place.

 

A hacker was allowed in April of 2024 to

breach the government database and expose millions of  Social Security numbers in the National Public Database breech the largest breach in history! RESULT,blame it on a hacker and forget about it.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/national-public-data-breach-what-you-need-to-know-843686f7-06e2-4e91-8a3f-ae30b7213535

[riclag]

18 hours ago, ignore it said:

Democratic misinformation campaign alert.

 

Thats on my bingo card.

Well said